COP31 opens in Antalya with push to accelerate electrification
Turkey hosts the 31st UN climate talks from November 9-20, with Australia leading negotiations as the world confronts rising emissions, stalled fossil fuel phaseout talks and a financing gap.
Delegates from nearly every country are gathering in the Mediterranean city of Antalya for the 31st UN climate conference (COP31), where host Turkey and Australia have included boosting the share of electricity in global energy consumption to 35% by 2035 among their aims. Germany and the EU want to spark momentum for a global transition away from fossil fuels. The talks open against a backdrop of climate emergencies across Europe and a deadly flood disaster in Nepal and Tibet, rising global carbon emissions, and disagreements over whether and how rapidly the world should transition away from coal, oil and gas.